Coupler



y 3, 1932- c. H. TOMLINSON 1,857,035

COUPLER Filed June 5, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l W/Z M I Inventor vention I Patented May 3, 1932 UNITED ST T-E L A T 6F F ICE"? I CHARLES H. TOMLINSON, or ,MANs'ii-In'Ln, onro, BRASS ooivrrnivaor MANSFIELD, onro. A CORPORATION or NEW TO THE OHIO JERSEY Application filed June 5 My invention relates to couplers and particularly that class of couplers-known as the Janney type.

The object of my invention is to provide a coupler in which all relative movement of the connected heads is eliminated and the stress upon the pin and upon the lock is reduced to a minimum.

In the presenttypes of commercial couplers of the J anney type the coupled heads are free to move relativeto each other to a very large degree, which means enormous wear of the parts and unusual breakage and in the case of passenger car operation the looseness between the coupler heads permits continual annoying jolts to the passengers and each car is permitted to move more or less independently of the other as the train travels along. 1 I In my device the coupled heads are held absolutely immovable relative to each other and the train moves as a unit and without a majority of the jar and vibration which is usually found in cars equipped with the ordinary types of couplers. My invention resides in the new and novel construction, combination and relation of the various parts herein describedandnshown in the-accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a face or end view of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a side view of two coupled heads shown in Fig. 1 without the spring draw bars which connect the coupler heads to the cars.

Fig. 3 is a view in section of Fig. 1 taken on the line 3-8 and shows the "interior parts of my invention in connection with two coupled heads. 7 v

Fig. is a top plan view of one of the knuckles which I employ.

Fig. 5 is a section on the line5-5 of Fig. 4:.

Fig. 61s a vertical section on the line 6- 6 of Fig. 3 and shows the interlocking of the knuckle with the head to relieve thecoupling pin of stress.

In the preferred embodiment of my inemploy a body member 1' which has a recess 2 in which is mounted ahorizontally movable spring lock comprising the 1n cross section and A-SSIGNOB, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS.

COUPLER was. Serial No. 283,006.

face4 to engage the tail of a knuckle and a flat face 5 to engage'the inner side wall of the coupler body and has secured tothe end face a guide rod 6 which reciprocates in the stationary guide block 7 Guide strips 8 secured tothe upper and lower walls of the coupling jhead also" guide the locking member 3.: Aspring 9 continually urges the locking member in a forward direction-when two coupler heads .are interlocked. Projecting laterally from thebody member 1 are abutment members 10 and 11. abutment member 10 is provided with a. passage or opening 12 which has a bell shaped month 13 to better guide intothe opening 12 a pinlt having a bevelled end face-15 and projecting from the abutment member 11. The opening 12 may be of any suitableshape the pin 14 will have a shape corresponding thereto. Surrounding the bell shaped mouth 13 is a flat surface 16 to engage with the flat face 17 surrounding the pin 14. When two couplers are connected the faces 16 and 17 are in close engagement and the interconnecting of the pins 14 with the openings 12 will absolutely prevent'any relative transverse movement of the heads or relative rotative movement about a common longitudinal axis. continual wear to the pins or openings or 'faceswhile the couplers are in operation.

Inorder to prevent relative longitudinal movement oftwo coupled heads, I employ knuckles of the J anney type which are pivotally securedto their respective heads by means of the pins 18. :Each knuckle comprises a hook-shaped portion 19* having a face 20. which engages with alike face of a knuckle on a cooperating coupler. Each knuckle is provided with an oblong hole 21 throughwhich passes the pin 18. The hole 21 .lismade oblong to facilitate the coupling and uncoupling of two heads and to the stress upon the pin after the heads are coupled, .as later explained.

Thetail. portion 22 is provided with abutments 23 whereby is formed a transverse groove 24 on the upper and lower face of the tail and having faces 25. Projectingup- The 2 Hence there will be no no relieve coupled relation with hole with respect 'in a locking direction,

"thereby bringing pressure upon tending to push the wedgebackw ard is mate- -rially reduced through the ments 23 when the heads are in coupled relation. The ribs 26 ride in the transverse grooves 2 1 of the knuckle.

The relation of the ribs 26 with respect to the abutments 23 and he oblong hole .21'with respect to the pin 18 is such that when two heads are coupled, the relation of the oblong the abutments 26 to ments 23 and permit clearance betweenthe walls forming the hole 21 and the pin 18. This construction removes all or practically all pulling stress upon the pin 18 when two heads are coupled and the stress is taken up almost exclusively between the abutments 23 and 26, both of which can be made large and substantial as compared with the pin 18. \Vhen two heads are brought together in the faces 20 of the knuckles'engaging and the knuckles moved in a coupling direction as far as possible, the result will be to draw the faces of the coupler heads into engagement with each other and I do not provide any limit stop as to the movement of the knuckles in a coupling direction so that it is always possible to draw the heads into tight engagement with each other. The wedge lock 3 engages the tapering face 28 of the knuckle and moves the knuckle in a locking direction as far as necessary to hold the faces of the heads in coupled position and the wedge under the action of the spring '9 is constantly urging the knuckle to move thereby constantly tending to draw the coupler heads into tighter engagement. This construction permits of taking up inequalities which may be present in any two coupler heads and always permits the tight locking of twoheads, which would not be the case ifthere was a limitation as to the movement of the wedge lock 3 or the knuckle.

At the same time under pulling action or stress the tendency for the knuckleto act as a bell crank pivoting about the pin 18 and the wedge 3 engagement of the abutments 23 and 26 and this has a decided advantage when it is desired to uncouple two heads in that the pressure between the knuckle and to be so reduced that the friction is accordingly reduced, which permitseasilyretractingthe wedge lock3.

The wedge lock'3 can be manipulated by the lever 29 or by other suitable means.

The knuckle is provided with upwardly and downwardly projecting lugs 30 which may contactwith the portion 31 of the coupler head when the couplers are first brought Fig. 1 I have shown to the pin 18 will permit be engaged by the abuttransverse movement of the wedge lock 3 is found and are held in a fixed coupled relation together under impact, thereby removing stress upon the pin 18, although if proper clearances are allowed the impact will come entirely upon the faces of the couplers.

The surfaces 25 and 27 may be eccentric with respect to the center point or axis of the hole 21 in the knuckle or of the pin 18. In the center of the radius R of the surface 25 as positioned at a point distant from the axis of the hole 21, therefore the surface 25 is eccentric to the axis of the hole 21.

In order to move the knuckles to an open position automatically upon withdrawing the wedgelock 3, I use a reciprocating plunger 32. continually pressed toward the knuckle by means of-the spring 33.

The longitudinal axes of two coupled heads are held in fixed relation to each other and the longitudinal movement limited to merely that which may be allowed by a spring in the materials used and the constant tendency is for the wedge lock 3 to draw the heads into tighter engagement and the pins 14 interlocking with the openings 12 on two coupled heads prevents relative rotative movement about the axes or a relative the heads in any direction. Therefore, it will be seen that two connected coupler heads will form practically the equivalent ofa rigid bar connecting two cars and the only longitudinal movement between the coupler and the car body is that in the spring draft gear.

It will be evident that if there is no relative movement of the parts of two coupled heads, wear is eliminated almost entirely. Also, any movement between the knuckle and the wedge lock is eliminated or reduced to a very small amount. Also, stress is taken up entirely or to a very large degree directly between the knuckle and the coupler body and therefore the direct pull upon the pin 18 is eliminated or materially reduced and there is only a component side stress thereon. Also since the pulling stress is largely between the abutments 23 and 26 the pressure between the tail 22 and lock 3 is relatively small and the lock 3 may therefore be easily retracted.

of two heads is the pulling The construction of my improved coupler head is such that the same may be coupled to any of the present standard couplers of the and the A. It. A.

My improved coupler iswell adapted to have attached thereto, air, steam, water and electric connections which are coupled automatically upon bringing together two cars the coupler heads are together.

The curvature of the surfaces 25 and 27 on the abutments 23 and 26 may be so related that as the wedge lock 3 crowds the tail22 to one side, the surfaces 25 and 27 while :51

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I contacting will force the knuckles rearwardly and simultaneously theforward end of the knuckle will move rearwardly and hence if coupled to a cooperating head, the two will 7 be drawn towards each other and their faces into strong engagement. The said action of the knuckles will take place on each head. The wedging action of the locks 3 drawsthe contact faces 20 of the hook shaped portions 19 of the knuckles together at all times when coupled, irrespective of the draw bar pull, and this in turn draws the knuckles outwardly, holding the surfaces of the abutments 23oand 26 tightly together so that their friction engagement will resist opening of the knuckles even when the train is slack.

There will be modifications to my improved said abutmentmembers being held in tight coupler herein disclosed which will be evident to those skilled in the art. Therefore, I wish to be limited only bycmy claims.

I claim i 1. A car coupler head having a contact face for limiting movement of said. head towardthe head of a connected coupler,- a loosely pivoted coupler knuckle on said head for holding said face in contact with the corresponding face of a connected coupler head and eccentric abutments on said knuckle and head respectively arranged to shift said knuckle bodily transverse to its pivotal axis for drawing said faces together when said knuckle is swung about its axis to closed position. r

2. A car coupler comprising a coupler head having a contact face for engaging ,a contact face of a connected coupler, a coupling knuckle loosely pivoted on said coupler head for connecting said coupler with another coupler, a lock for holding said knuckle closed and members on said knuckle and said coupler head respectively, having cam engagement with each other for retracting said knuckle and drawing the contact faces of said couplers together, said members having a range of movement beyond that required for bringingthe contact fac'es together.

3. In combination a coupler head having a contact face for engaging a similar face on a connected coupler, a coupler knuckle pivotally mounted on said head and movable longitudinally thereof, and eccentric abutment members for retracting said knuckle, said abutment members having a range of relative movement beyond that required for drawing the contact faces of said couplers together.

4. A coupler head having a coupler knuckle pivotally mounted thereon and movable longitudinally thereof, said coupler head having a contact face for engaging a contact face of the connected coupler and for limiting movement of said couplers toward each other and eccentric abutments for retractingsaid knuckle when said knuckle is rotated about its pivot to draw said contact faces together, said eccentric abutments having a range of 'movement beyond that required for drawin said contact faces into contact with eacl other; 1' c 5. A car coupler comprising a-coupler head, a knuckle pivotally mountedv on said head --and movable longitudinally thereof, abutment members on said knuckle and head respectively and spaced radiallyfrom the pivotalzaxis of said knuckle for'receiving the loadon said knuckle, said coupler head having a contact facefor engaging a contact face on a. connected coupler-and for limiting the movement of-said couplers toward each other, said knuckle having a range of movement beyond that required to bring said contact faces together, and awedging'member for swinging said knuckle about its pivot,

frictional engagement with each other for resisting reverse pivotal movement of said engage the face of a connected coupler and limit movement of said couplers toward each other, a coupling knuckle pivotally mounted onsaid head and having limited'movement longitudinally of said head and eccentric abutment .members co-acting between said knuckle and its head for retracting said knuckle when said knuckle is swung to a closed position and for receiving the force of the load on said knuckle, the frictional engagement between said. abutment members acting to resist reversed pivotal movement of said knuckle under said load, said knuckle having a range of movement beyond that required to bring said contact faces together and a wedging lock for swinging said knuckle to closed position. 7 i 7. A coupler head having a contact face for engaging a contact face of a: connected coupler, aknuckle loosely pivoted on said head for holding said contact faces together, said knuckle having a range of movement beyond thatv required to bring said faces together, a wedgingflock for holding said knuckle closed and frictional abutment members spaced from the pivotal axis of said knuckle for resisting opening of said knuckle, said frictional abutment members being drawn together by. the force of the load on said couplers but being hel'd in engagement by the wedging look even when there is no load on the couplers.

8. A car coupler comprising a coupler head, a knuckle pivotally mounted on said head, abutment members on said head and knuckle respectively and spaced radially from thepivotal axis of said knuckle for receiving the load on said knuckle, said coupler head having acontact face for engaging a contact face'on a connected coupler and for limiting the movement of said couplers toward having telescopic engagement with said Wedging member for actuating said wedging member, said abutment members having frictional engagementreverse pivotal. movement of said knuckle when coupled and being held in tight frictional engagement by said wedging members even when there is no load on the coupler.

9. A carcoupler comprising a coupler head having a contact face for engaging a' contact face of a connected coupler, a-coupling knuckle loosely pivoted on said coupler head for connecting said coupler with another coupler, a lock for holding said knuckle closed, a spring having telescopic engagement with said lock for actuating said lock,

and members on said knuckle and said coupler head respectively, having cam engagement for retracting said knuckle and drawing the contact faces of said couplers together, said cam and knuckle having ranges of move ment beyond that required for bringing the contact faces of said couplers together.

10. A coupler head having a contact face for engaging the contact face of aconnected coupler, a knuckle looselypivoted on said head for holding said contact faces together, said knuckle having a range of movement beyond that required to bring said faces together, a wedging lock for holding said knuckle closed, an actuating spring for said lock having telescopic engagement therewith, and frictional abutment members spaced from the pivotal axis of said knuckles for resisting opening of said knuckle, said frictional abutment members being drawn together by the force of the load on said couplers and being held in engagement by the wedging lock even when there is no load on said coupler.

' 11. A car coupler head having a contact face for limiting movement of said head toward the head of a connected coupler, a coupling knuckle pivoted on said head for holding said head to the head of said connected coupler, and means comprisingcam surfaces on said knuckle and head respectively for retracting said knuckle bodily relative to said contact face to'draw said contact face against'the face of the'conneoted coupler.

In testimony whereof I afiiX my signature.

CHARLES H. TOMLINSON.

with each other for resisting 

